Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Well the end of the year is upon us. So, why not rock out to some good old Alice Cooper Group. I've had quite a few people asking for some old school Cooper. Here is a soundboard, from possibly one of the last shows from the Killer's Tour. The exact date is not none. The sound quality is not to bad. A little tape hiss, and some distortion here and there. A couple songs have a few seconds missing. Overall, it is still very enjoyable, and definitely worth having. Happy New Years.Set list:

I've been listening to this concert for a couple of weeks now. And it tickles my ears happy.Frank Z does it again with an amazing audience recording. I can't thank him enough. Fortunately, I've been able to hear almost all the concert on this leg of Neil's tour. And for some reason this one just grabs me. The sound is really great, but there are others that sound just as good, if not better. Maybe it's because it's in Massachusetts. God damn if I'm not a true blue Masshole. Either way the set list rocks, the show sounds great, and Massholes know how to drink their liquor. So, get yourself a twelve pack and enjoy this rocking show.

Set List:

Love And Only LoveHey Hey, My MyEverybody Knows This Is NowherePowderfingerSpirit RoadCortez The KillerCinnamon GirlOh, Lonesome MeMother EarthThe Needle And The Damage DoneLight A CandleCough Up The BucksFuel LineHit The RoadHeart Of GoldOld ManGet Back To The CountryWhen Worlds CollideGet Behind The WheelJust Singing A SongCowgirl In The SandRockin' In The Free WorldA Day In The Life

Friday, December 26, 2008

Well, I hope everybody is having a Happy Holiday. With the release of "Sugar Mountain," which is part of Neil's Archive series. I thought this would be a good time to share this BBC recording. It has a similar feel, to that of The Canterbury House show. The recording shows it's age with a little bit of tape hiss. But I don't find it to be bothersome. So, if you would like a nice quite moment with Neil, here is your chance. And if you haven't yet picked up part three of Neil's Archive serious get on it. The sound quaility is absolutely amazing. Neil is quite funny with his stone y chatter between each song. They also give you a sneak peak into the Archive Box set, that is to be released at some point in 2009.

Set List:

1 Out on the weekend2 Old man3 Journey through the past4 Heart of gold5 Don't let it bring you down6 A man needs a maid7 Love in mind8 See the girl dance

Monday, December 15, 2008

This is an amazing sounding concert, taken straight from the soundboard. I've been meaning to put this up for awhile. Of all the concerts I have by this band, this is the one I always come back too. It just brings tears to my eyes when I hear it. Sigur Rós is truly one of the best. Psychedelic all the way.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

What an amazing show. I had a great time, and hopefully everybody that I encouraged to go did as well. Ray did not disappoint with this powerful acoustic set. His request for audience participation brought a nice lite heart ed atmosphere to the night. And my drunk ass was in full swing. Just thinking about the night brings a smile to my face.

And the best part is now we can relive it over and over thanks to Thomas. He was nice enough to share this great sounding recording. Man, I can't thank him enough. He did a great job. The sound is pretty true to the night. And you get to hear all the banter between songs, which is great. Mainly, because I was having trouble focusing on that. The only minor thing with this recording is he missed the first three songs. Which is not that big deal. I'm just glad to be able to listen to this again with a bit clearer head. Not too clear mind you.

Set List.

(First three missing)After the FallI'm Not Like Everybody ElseThe TouristDedicated Follower of FashionThe Getaway (Lonesome Train)Sunny AfternoonWorking Man's CafeHymn for a New AgeMorphine SongWell Respected ManLow BudgetSee My Friends20th Century ManTired of Waiting for YouAll Day and All of the NightSet Me FreeYou Really Got Me (w/Locksley)Lola (w/Locksley)Victoria (w/Locksley)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Elmer Valentine on the Sunset Strip in 2000 across from two other establishments he helped start: the Rainbow Bar & Grill and Roxy Theatre.

Elmer Valentine, co-founder of Whisky a Go Go, dies at 85

By Dennis McLellan December 7, 2008

Elmer Valentine, co-founder of the Whisky a Go Go, the legendary live rock showcase on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood that gave birth to the go-go dancer phenomenon of the 1960s, has died. He was 85.

Valentine, who also co-founded the Roxy Theatre in the early '70s, died Wednesday at his home in Studio City after suffering from various ailments the last four years, said music mogul Lou Adler, his longtime friend and business partner.

A former Chicago cop who arrived in Los Angeles in 1960, Valentine was co-owner of P.J.'s, a successful West Hollywood restaurant-nightclub, when he sold his interest and took a trip to Europe in 1963.

While in Paris, he visited a discotheque and was so impressed by the large, enthusiastic crowd of young dancers that he decided to borrow the disco's name and start his own club back home in Los Angeles.

After lining up three partners, Valentine launched the Whisky a Go Go in January 1964. The club was an immediate hit, with headliner Johnny Rivers attracting celebrity-studded sold-out audiences.

"For much of the '60s and early '70s, Elmer Valentine's Whisky was the most important rock club in town," former Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn wrote in 1977. "It was an incubation spot for local bands and a showcase for highly touted visiting groups."

The Byrds, the Doors, the Kinks, the Who, Them, Love and Buffalo Springfield were among the bands to play there.

"The Whisky was mecca," Ray Manzarek, the keyboardist for the Doors, told The Times in 2003. "It was the place in Los Angeles. It was probably the place in the entire country."

Adler, who first met Valentine in 1964 and produced Rivers' live Whisky a Go Go album, said the Whisky "was a template for what rock clubs would be, not only in Los Angeles but across the United States and around the world."

"Up until that point, rock acts did not have that kind of venue. It drew a lot of celebrities, and the celebrities drew people to come watch the celebrities." Along with drawing such stars as Steve McQueen, Jayne Mansfield and Cary Grant, the Whisky drew national media attention, including from Life magazine and Jack Paar, who did a segment for his weekly comedy-variety program at the club.

Part of the attraction was the mini-skirted go-go girls, a contribution to pop culture that happened by accident.

As recounted in a 2000 Vanity Fair article on Valentine, he arranged to have a female DJ play records between Rivers' sets so patrons could continue dancing. But because there wasn't enough room on the floor for a DJ booth, he had a glass-walled booth mounted high above the floor.

To publicize the girl-DJ gimmick, a public contest was held for the job. But when the young winner called Valentine on the night of the opening to tearfully say her mother forbade her from doing it, Valentine recruited the club's cigarette girl, Patty Brockhurst.

"She had on a slit skirt, and we put her up there," Valentine told Vanity Fair. "So she's up there playing the records. She's a young girl, so while playing 'em, all of a sudden she starts dancing to 'em. It was a dream. It worked."

Valentine quickly hired two more girl dancers, one of whom, Joanie Labine, according to the Vanity Fair article, "designed the official go-go-girl costume of fringed dress and white boots."

The Whisky a Go Go "spurred the entire go-go period," said Adler. "The advertising agencies picked up on the phrase and everything became 'go-go.' "

The way Valentine ran the Whisky -- and his relationships with the acts -- was nothing like the stereotypical hard-nosed nightclub owners in the movies, Adler said. "Being in that club was like heaven for him," said Adler. "He loved rock music, and he loved the musicians. He had a special relationship with all of them."

Valentine was born in Chicago on June 16, 1923. After serving as an Army Air Forces mechanic stationed in England during World War II, he joined the Chicago police force.

"I left Chicago [in 1960] because my wife dumped me, and I was flipped out," he told Vanity Fair. But, as the magazine noted, he was also having a bit of trouble on the job: He was on the take from the Mob.

"It was a way of life," Valentine said.

Although he was indicted for extortion, the magazine reported, he was never convicted. And once Valentine arrived in Los Angeles, he had a backup career plan: "I used to moonlight running nightclubs for the outfit. For gangsters."

In 1965, Valentine launched the Trip, a small, short-lived rock club on the Strip. In 1972, he, Adler, Mario Maglieri and others started the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Strip; a year later, Valentine, Adler and others founded the Roxy.

Adler, who bought into the Whisky in the late '70s, said Valentine sold his interest in the club in the '90s but retained an ownership in the Rainbow and the Roxy until his death.

Valentine, who was divorced, is survived by his daughter, Kimberly Valentine; and a grandson. Plans for a memorial service are pending.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

The man is seventy and he's still rocking. Better than most half his age. To celebrate this great musician I have two different sets to share. The first being JJ Cale Left (c)over Jams. This album sounds amazing. It's all different unreleased versions of some very recognizable songs. If you are unfamiliar with his music, he's been covered by many big named artist. The second recording is from December 1971. This is a live recording Pacific High Recorders San Francisco, CA. It is an FM Broadcast that maybe old, but still sounds great. It's one of the earliest live recordings I have. It mostly consists of some good blues rocking instrumentals. Why this guy isn't more well known escapes me. I'm sure after listening to these recordings you'll ask yourself the same question.

According to Ronnie Wood, not only are they rehearsed and ready to go, they may even enlist Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to play bass

It seems they remember the songs after all. Ronnie Wood has confirmed rumours that the Faces will reunite, promising a comeback tour in 2009. They may even bring a Red Hot Chili Pepper along for the ride.

"It's like no time has passed by," Wood told Rolling Stone magazine this week. "We had a few rehearsals last week and we're ready to go."

Though original bassist Ronnie Lane died in 1997, the Faces have had no shortage of interest when it comes to low-note plinkety-plunkers. Conrad Korsch, Rod Stewart's touring bassist, sat in on the rehearsals - but "there's a lot of guest bass players [who] want to do it," Wood said, "including Flea".

Though we're not sure we want to hear a "funky" version of Ooh La La, Wood has even hinted at new studio material. "Rod wants me to write a load of new stuff for him," he said. Wood has a fair bit of free time – there's no word "when [or] where" the Rolling Stones will next get together.

Though the Faces have yet to announce any tour dates, it's just a matter of juggling itineraries, Wood said. "We just have to sort out [dates and locations] and drop all of the management egos. We know we can do it. It's just a matter of getting everyone's availability sometime next year."

Source:

This sounds great. I just hope they leave out Flea. He just doesn't seem to fit.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

In celebration of Ray playing tonight at The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta. I thought I would share this intimate concert. The concert was part of BBC Radio 2's "Sold On Song." Recorded in front of a small audience, at Maida Vale Studios in London. The concert is in the vain of his Story Tellers format. He gives you some insight about most of the songs. The source is an FM Broadcast, so the sound quality is quite good. It's a nice intimate setup just Ray and Mark on acoustic/electric guitars. Not to mention the set list is great.

I hope everyone who wants to see him on this tour gets their chance. I'm super excited for tonight's show. I managed to get a bunch of music lovers together for this night, which is always a great way to start the party. Hope I see some of you there.